What would you like your daycare to provide that isn't being provided?

[Smartbaby]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and have been browsing some great threads! I'm hoping to do some info gathering and have a general discussion to educate myself a bit more.

A bit about me: I am graduating soon with a math phd and have extensive informal experience with children including nannying 6 kids and also teaching gifted and caring for special needs.

I'm looking to open a child care centre with 5 spots and a support staff member (likely an ece). I hope some parents can weigh in on a few things for me.

I want to offer infant care as I specialized in neonatal when I did respiratory therapy many years ago. I prefer to limit my care to infant care and believe that tending to one age group allows me to tailor my care more effectively. Is this something parents would appreciate? Or is it a pain that I wouldn't want to also take on toddlers?

What are he aspects of care that you aren't getting that you'd love to have?
What features would you think are worth paying more for?

I understand what the cornerstones of good care are and want to identify the type of care that goes above and beyond in terms of offerings (clearly communication, patience, approachability etc should all be present)

I appreciate all feedback

Thanks!!

[5 Little Monkeys]

I would think for some parents, it would be a pain to have to find another daycare when their child becomes a toddler. In centres, it is fine to separate by age because the parents won't have to find other care as their child gets older but this might be a cause of concern for a smaller setting.

[Smartbaby]

Fair enough, perhaps I should look at partnering with another provider who caters to toddlers. I just think the set up and programming is so different and I'd think having more focus on one age group is advantageous from all perspectives.... Except the one you mention :)

[DCMG]

I think also anyone that wants a home based daycare that has more than one child would not consider a home daycare that only caters to infants. You might be limiting yourself more than you realize. Maybe take a look at other providers in the area and that will give you an idea of the need of your neighbourhood. As long as you don't mind take longer to fill spots then it may work. Also, if you are in Ontario you may want to familiarize yourself with Bill 143. If that passes as it has been designed then you would only be able to have 2 infants in your care at any time even if you have support staff.

[Smartbaby]

Thanks! I've looked in my neighbourhood and there are a number of providers though my friends with children are saying there is quite a shortage of good care. I'm downtown west end toronto and believe that there's a solid need for good child are in my area. I also think I have a really nice space and lots to offer; but these are good considerations for sure!

[bright sparks]

Yes but you are definitely going to be faced with the issue of only being allowed to care for 2 under two's so I would seriously consider coming up with an alternative program that can accommodate multiple ages. This isn't like good considerations of peoples opinions and the areas need, but a potential, and most likely, change in the law which would make all your efforts in planning wasted as it would not be something you could legally do.

[Smartbaby]

It isn't clear the bill is passing without amendments at this point and at any rate I haven't done anything illegal at this point nor do I plan to.

I would like to understand the needs of the community so that within he legal framework I can cater my service. This is a preliminary undertaking of info gathering.

I wonder if anyone can weigh in on the other questions I asked? What would you most like to have offered as part of your care?

Thanks!

[bright sparks]

There is very little activity from parents on this site unless they are daycare providers who are also parents.

[Smartbaby]

Thanks for the heads up. This has still been fruitful!

[Artsand crafts]

In downtown Toronto daycare is very well paid. Fees could go up to $75 per day for home daycare. Home daycare ads in that area look like they are offering a lot and caregivers seem to have good credentials. You can take a look at their ads and see what they are offering as a starting point. Depending on the area and demographics, parents value different aspects and hence are willing to pay more if they find what they are looking for. Where I am located families really value healthy, organic eating, educational programming, great daycare set up, and low caregiver to child ratio and they are willing to pay more because I offer all this. You need to find out what is most valued by families in your neighborhood and what they are looking for that is hard for them to find somewhere else.

[nschildcare]

I don't know what the regs are... so take what I am saying with a grain of salt.

I think that catering to one age group would be a good thing in many ways. The set up would be ideal for that age group, activities, meals, etc etc. I know many centres and home daycares (here) won't accept children until they are 18 months. So parents need something until that age, kwim?

If you are limited by age how many children you can have, then I would revisit the notion of catering to an age and instead cater to a philosophy (ie: what you think is important in childcare, play through learning, etc etc).

Good luck!

[Momof4]

I have a few comments. I know there are people who do it, but why would you want to split your income with someone else? No matter how many adults are in the house you can still only have the income from 5 children.

Everyone who is looking for daycare is a Mom returning from maternity leave so all children start out daycare at about 1 year of age, some a bit younger. The best scenario is to have the child stay with you for 3-4 years until they go to JK to reduce turnover, interviewing, and transitioning new children, which can be it's own nightmare. So as someone already mentioned, if you were going to cater only to infants you would be transitioning nonstop.

Then of course we have Bill 143 hanging over our heads.

[Smartbaby]

"Where I am located families really value healthy, organic eating, educational programming, great daycare set up, and low caregiver to child ratio and they are willing to pay more"

These are all things, along with credentials that I see as basic care that should be included in any program and are already the foundation of my offering; I'm hoping to find what people consider perks...

[Smartbaby]

I have a few comments. I know there are people who do it, but why would you want to split your income with someone else? No matter how many adults are in the house you can still only have the income from 5 children.

Everyone who is looking for daycare is a Mom returning from maternity leave so all children start out daycare at about 1 year of age, some a bit younger. The best scenario is to have the child stay with you for 3-4 years until they go to JK to reduce turnover, interviewing, and transitioning new children, which can be it's own nightmare. So as someone already mentioned, if you were going to cater only to infants you would be transitioning nonstop.

Then of course we have Bill 143 hanging over our heads.

Thanks...good point, mostly I believe that I really specialize in infant care, though of course all kids are special! But this is a very compelling point-transitioning is work!

[Smartbaby]

I don't know what the regs are... so take what I am saying with a grain of salt.

I think that catering to one age group would be a good thing in many ways. The set up would be ideal for that age group, activities, meals, etc etc. I know many centres and home daycares (here) won't accept children until they are 18 months. So parents need something until that age, kwim?

If you are limited by age how many children you can have, then I would revisit the notion of catering to an age and instead cater to a philosophy (ie: what you think is important in childcare, play through learning, etc etc).

Good luck!

Thanks, I appreciate the input, all of it! I guess at the end of the day I feel my care may be more concentrated and effective when dedicated to one age group. My aim is going to be to provide highly personalized attention and I believe that conceptual challenges can occur at a very young age. The infant years are marked by very fast growth and learning and I want to focus attention on presenting challenges that lay educational framework early on. This isn't to say I can't provide that to all ages, it's just a more concentrated focus in a more homogeneous group.

So many considerations on both sides!

I suppose since I will be a very small centre, I maybe can just fill a very small niche.

[Lee-Bee]

You'd be setting yourself up to have very high turn over and always be in a state of transition. Few families need care for children before 12months of age. Some may need care at 10 or 11 months but there really are not that many that seek care much earlier. Depending on what you define as "Toddler" you'd be getting a new child, having them settle in and then a couple months later kicking them out to find toddler care.

I currently have 5 kids ages 13-16months and I love it BUT I know that this is not going to last long. The families will start having 2nd kids, some will leave on mat leave some will return with a younger sibling, some will move or just leave and I'll fill those spots with a 12month old. The group may all be the same age now but in time my group will shift and I'll have a wider age range...it's just the nature of home care.

As much as I love having them close together I would never make a family leave because their toddler is to old. The hardest parts of this job are getting the children settled into routine. By the time they are toddlers they are familiar with the routine and are actually helping etc. I'd HATE to have to keep transitioning in new infants.

While I think the idea sounds great on paper in the realties of home daycare I don't think it is a feasible and I don't think families would sign on for it. They want their child in a home setting and they want to envision their infant staying there until school age.

[Momof4]

"Where I am located families really value healthy, organic eating, educational programming, great daycare set up, and low caregiver to child ratio and they are willing to pay more"

These are all things, along with credentials that I see as basic care that should be included in any program and are already the foundation of my offering; I'm hoping to find what people consider perks...

Parents choose me for many reasons. I serve mostly organic all home made food, run weekly themes and teach all kinds of art, music and dancing, art mediums of all kinds, science, and so much more. The children were studying my globe today and one 3 yo little girl found some garbage on it where someone didn't clean up their earth, ha. Because we've been out there picking up garbage this week. They know where Canada, the north pole and many other points are located on my globe - basic geography. They are ready for school when they leave here.

They know all my songs and stories year by year from all the holidays, seasons and have favourite puppets and games. Why? Because they are here year after year and repetition reinforces learning. I think Smartbaby, that you might have fantastic qualifications for a specialized job, and there is a lot to learn to be successful in this field, but I'm just trying to point out why low turnover is good and how much of a difference we can make in a child's life if we are with them for more than a year.

Then of course there are all the families who keep in touch, return to visit and I'm enjoying watching them grow with all the seeds of knowledge I planted in those little minds. But to me, home daycare means families working together. But I need to make a living and if you have a low caregiver to child ratio, you are talking about a very low income. I need to have all 5 spaces filled and luckily, I'm in demand and successful. But that took a lot of work too.

[5 Little Monkeys]

If you are set on caring for a specific age group, have you considered applying to daycare centres and working in the baby rooms?

[Smartbaby]

If you are set on caring for a specific age group, have you considered applying to daycare centres and working in the baby rooms?

Good question except at his point I'm choosing this a business for myself because I have a large renovated house downtown, I love babies, there is a need for quality child care and I am in a transition phase where I want out of academia to pursue more fulfilling options. Working at someone else's daycare is not something I would be considering at this point in the game.

I think the points I can distill from this discussion are from the providers side and in summation:

-it may be hard to focus on infants as parents may find the near eventuality of finding new care insurmountable
-focusing on infants potentially breaks strong or developing bonds made with the child when they have to leave
-focusing on infants means breaking a stream of income and being in perpetual transition

All good points

The research I have done informally suggests that there is a serious shortage of infant care in toronto and that many parents are frustrated already that their children may be split up due to the fact that many centres can't accept all siblings if one is under the age req. Further the caregiver infant ratio is higher and driving cost up making the acceptance of infants less appealing to providers.

Hence it would seem that if possible, a partnership of sorts with a provider that caters to over 18 months would make a nice dynamic service allowing both them and myself to focus on certain age groups but causing less transitional headaches...after all as kids and adults we graduate to new schools and different programs all the time.

Anyway, the discussion has caused much reflection. I appreciate all the input and think most likely I will be accepting infants and then gauge the needs of the group as we grow and limits of my service as they appear.

[Smartbaby]

You'd be setting yourself up to have very high turn over and always be in a state of transition. Few families need care for children before 12months of age. Some may need care at 10 or 11 months but there really are not that many that seek care much earlier. Depending on what you define as "Toddler" you'd be getting a new child, having them settle in and then a couple months later kicking them out to find toddler care.

I currently have 5 kids ages 13-16months and I love it BUT I know that this is not going to last long. The families will start having 2nd kids, some will leave on mat leave some will return with a younger sibling, some will move or just leave and I'll fill those spots with a 12month old. The group may all be the same age now but in time my group will shift and I'll have a wider age range...it's just the nature of home care.

As much as I love having them close together I would never make a family leave because their toddler is to old. The hardest parts of this job are getting the children settled into routine. By the time they are toddlers they are familiar with the routine and are actually helping etc. I'd HATE to have to keep transitioning in new infants.

While I think the idea sounds great on paper in the realties of home daycare I don't think it is a feasible and I don't think families would sign on for it. They want their child in a home setting and they want to envision their infant staying there until school age.

Just to clarify, not necessarily to you but you mention ages. I believe infants are anywhere between birth and 18 months. But even caring for those up to 22 months allows a year or more with an infant and that is a very important year. Their needs change drastically at some point soon after which is also a huge transition.

[Crayola kiddies]

So if you consider an infant up to 18 months and most babies don't start care until they are at least 10 months due to the 1 yr mat leave and at what point in the pregnancy the mom finished work but I would say the earliest would be about 10 months ... You would be transitioning new children every 6 -8 months.... And some children take several weeks and sometime a few months to settle in .....
Not to mention the new bill 143 .... Yes I know it hasn't been passed yet but it will be passed and even though there may be a few changes I don't think one if them is going to be the two under two .... Which means you are only going to be able to have two infants and if you have or plan on have children of your own they will be part of the ratio which further limits you....
I can't see it panning out because as a parent I would not want to settle my children into a daycare only to have to change them to a new one in 6 months....

I hated the fact that my kids had to change schools because a new one was built and was 3 kms closer to my home so it was not negotiable .... Im not a fan of change

[bright sparks]

So if you consider an infant up to 18 months and most babies don't start care until they are at least 10 months due to the 1 yr mat leave and at what point in the pregnancy the mom finished work but I would say the earliest would be about 10 months ... You would be transitioning new children every 6 -8 months.... And some children take several weeks and sometime a few months to settle in .....
Not to mention the new bill 143 .... Yes I know it hasn't been passed yet but it will be passed and even though there may be a few changes I don't think one if them is going to be the two under two .... Which means you are only going to be able to have two infants and if you have or plan on have children of your own they will be part of the ratio which further limits you....
I can't see it panning out because as a parent I would not want to settle my children into a daycare only to have to change them to a new one in 6 months....

I hated the fact that my kids had to change schools because a new one was built and was 3 kms closer to my home so it was not negotiable .... Im not a fan of change

You really have summed it up nicely Crayola. Also lets not forget that it is an important part of psychosocial development, at this age particularly, to have consistency in order to develop healthy bonds and the ability to trust. We as adults take it for granted, but the way infants and young children develop trust is through consistency and I don't think it is in the best interest of the child to be moved elsewhere In such a short space of time. Many do it but it doesn't mean all do it well or without repercussions later on down the road. School age children are different because thy have already "hopefully" developed through this stage as it happens within the first 2 years of life. If the foundation is strong, then further stages of development are reinforced and that is a huge deal in the child's success. I think the idea of doing this partnership with another provider for the older age group sounds good initially, but then neither of you are going to be able to make a viable source of income and this will become a very short lived venture.

[Crayola kiddies]

The other thing that I forgot to mention is you wouldnt likely have repeat business because if a parent decides to have another child most would rather have their kids in the same daycare so they only have one drop off and one pickup not to mention keeping their children together .... But convienience will play a big part of it .... Most parents are busy enough without adding the extra stop at the beginning and end of each day ...... I have two parents on mat leave right now and one just came back in nov .... So I have one sib set until end of aug when the older one goes to jk and then one new one will start for sept (I already have his bro) and then and another brother of a current child will be starting in march ..... Repeat business is terrific ..... I hope they all have a few more ; )